When Venus Ebony Starr Williams’ father, Richard, watched a French Open women’s final on television, he visualized then-unborn Venus as the winner. Thus began Richard’s aspirations for his daughters to become tennis stars. In 1991, an 11-year-old Venus with a 63-0 record became Southern California’s No. 1 in USTA’s 12-and-Under tournament. Her nine-year-old sister, Serena, was No. 1 in the 10-and-Under Division. Richard believed that Venus’ dominance stirred racial tensions among some parents of Venus’ opponents. He recognized, too, that to keep his girls on the road to greatness, they would need tougher competition and quality training. 

After exploring other options, Richard accepted Rick Macci’s invitation to relocate his family to his tennis academy in Boca Raton, Florida. Venus impressed Macci with her court prowess and athleticism. When she took water breaks during practice sessions, Macci marveled at her ability to walk to the fountain on her hands. “Her athleticism is there with the 16-year-olds,” he said. “There’s a champion running through that blood.”

Williams was 14 when she turned professional in 1994. Venus achieved the No. 1 singles ranking in 2002 and the No. 1 doubles ranking in 2010. As of 2021, she has claimed 49 singles titles, 22 doubles titles, and 2 mixed doubles titles. Venus has won 5 of the singles titles at Wimbledon and 2 at the US Open. Her US Open debut was in 1997, where she reached the final round, falling to Martina Hingis. Venus won her first US Open singles title three years later when she defeated Lindsay Davenport in the finals. As a member of the 2000 Olympic team, Williams claimed the singles gold medal after she defeated Elena Dementieva of Russia in the final round.

Venus has both competed with and against Serena during her career. All of Venus’ women's doubles titles have been won with her sister. The Williams’ sisters first Grand Slam doubles titles were claimed in 1999 at both Roland-Garros and the US Open. Venus and Serena have represented the United States in the Olympics in 2000, 2008, and 2012. They won the gold medal all three times. The duo has claimed titles together at each Grand Slam tournament as well. 

The 2001 US Open was arguably the most famous of the Williams’ sisters matches against each other. The match was the first time that the women’s singles final aired live on television in prime time. In front of 23 million television viewers, Venus defeated Serena 6-2, 6-4. 

Venus Williams is also known for her activism in securing equal prize money in professional women’s tennis. In 2006, Venus penned an article for The Times, criticizing Wimbledon for denying women equal prize money. The article gained widespread attention, earning support form Prime Minister Tony Blair. The following year, Wimbledon agreed to award equal prize money to the men’s and women’s champions. This was a landmark moment in women’s tennis history. Williams would go on to be the first to benefit from this decision, winning the 2007 Wimbledon title.

Venus has started several business ventures in addition to continuing her professional career. She has an interior design company, V Starr Interiors, and a clothing line, EleVen. In 2010, Venus illustrated how competitive athletics can benefit entrepreneurship in her book Come to Win. 

Even into 2023, Venus has continued to play, receiving a wildcard to play in Wimbledon at 43 years old. Although she lost in the first round of her 24th appearance to eventual semifinalist Elina Svitolina, her ability to compete in the main draw speaks to the longevity of her career. She also received a wild card to compete in the main draw of the US Open, marking her 24th appearance, and 356th main draw match in a major, a record only superseded by her sister, Serena.